What are the commonalities and differences between 304 and 304L stainless steel
304 and 304L are two common types of stainless steel grades. What are the commonalities and differences between them? Let's start by analyzing the chemical composition of the materials.
304 stainless steel composition: C ≤ 0.08, Si ≤ 1.0, Mn ≤ 2.0, P ≤ 0.05, S ≤ 0.03, Cr 18.0 - 20.0, Ni 8.0 - 10.5.
304L stainless steel composition: C ≤ 0.03, Si ≤ 1.0, Mn ≤ 2.0, P ≤ 0.035, S ≤ 0.03, Cr 17.0 - 19.0, Ni 8.0 - 11.
Secondly, 304L stainless steel is more expensive than 304 stainless steel. 304L stainless steel is a low-carbon type of stainless steel. Since the amount of carbon content directly affects the hardness of stainless steel, 304 stainless steel has a higher hardness than 304L stainless steel.
The 304 stainless steel has a wide range of applications and possesses excellent corrosion resistance, heat resistance, low-temperature strength and mechanical properties. It has good heat processing properties such as stamping and bending, and there is no heat treatment hardening phenomenon. It is generally used in medical equipment, building materials, chemical industry, food industry, agriculture, ship components, etc.
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